Hvad er en slagleklipper?
A flail mower is a machine for heavy vegetation that cuts with freely suspended blades (flails) mounted on a horizontal rotor. Unlike a rotary mower, it doesn't just cut grass – it also handles scrub, brambles, reeds, and light growth. The result is finely chopped and evenly distributed across the area.
Not all clippers solve the same problem
Many hunters, farmers, and nature conservationists use the terms “flail mower”, “brushcutter”, and “rotary mower” interchangeably – but these are three different machines for three different tasks. If you choose the wrong one, you will either unnecessarily wear out the machine, or you will not get the desired result. This guide cuts through the confusion, whether you are maintaining hunting grounds, running a hobby farm, or managing natural areas.
What is a flail mower – and what is it not?
A flail mower works with freely suspended flails (hammer or Y-shaped steel pieces) mounted on a rapidly rotating drum. If a flail hits something too hard, it can swing freely – this protects the machine and gives it the ability to power through tougher material. This mechanism gives the flail mower its core competencies:
- Dense thicket and blackberries – the blades tear and shred rather than jamming
- Sedges, rushes and tall herbs – effectively
- Beware of undergrowth and bushes – handled without stopping the machine
- Damp-packed material – clear where a rotary mower will pack it in
The material was left finely divided and scattered, promoting faster decomposition and benefiting wildlife.
En rotorklipper (også kendt som en plæneklipper med drevet kniv) er en type plæneklipper, der bruger en roterende kniv til at klippe græsset. Den har typisk en motor, der driver en vandret aksel, hvorpå en kniv er fastgjort. Når motoren tændes, roterer kniven med høj hastighed og skærer græsset. Rotorklippere er den mest almindelige type plæneklipper og findes i en række forskellige typer, herunder elektriske, benzin- og batteridrevne modeller.
A rotary mower has one or more fixed or slightly flexible blades that rotate rapidly in a horizontal plane. It is optimised for even, upright grass and clover, lawns, meadows, and verges with uniform growth – in areas without stones, branches, or thick vegetation. It typically provides a neater, more uniform cut, but if driven into brambles or tall reeds, it will either stall, bend the blades, or get damaged.
A brushcutter.
“Brush cutters” are not a type of machine, but a job description – to cut back areas of fallow land, roadside verges, buffer zones, and fields with coarser vegetation. A brush cutter is often either a rotary mower or a flail mower, depending on what one has. The key: For actual clearing of rough growth with coarser material, a flail mower is almost always the right choice. A cheap “brush cutter” on the market is often actually a rotary mower that is only suitable for lighter jobs.
Comparison: flail mower vs. rotary mower
| Criterion | Flail mower | Rotary mower |
|---|---|---|
| Suitability for grass | God | Very good (finer cut on pure lawn) |
| Shrimp and blackberries | Very good | Not suitable |
| Material | Coarse vegetation, scrub, reeds, light undergrowth | Create grass, clover, uniform growth |
| Stones/foreign bodies | Robust – slagler svinger fri | Vulnerable – fixed knives get damaged |
| Maintenance | Inspection of shear blades and suspensions | Sharpening/replacement of blades |
| Finding | Found, spread over the area | Larger clippings can build up |
| Hunting and game management | Ideal – opens scrub, makes wild strips | Limited to open spaces |
Flail mowers for hunting and nature conservation in practice
Wild strips and fodder fields
A flail mower creates wildlife strips by cutting swathes in tall vegetation, allowing birds and wildlife to access both food and cover simultaneously. A rotary mower cannot create these strips in dense vegetation.
Clearing of overgrown areas
Areas that haven't been maintained for a couple of seasons quickly become overgrown with brambles, birch scrub, and willowherb. A flail mower is the only real answer – and can do it from an ATV or UTV, so you don't need a tractor.
Maintenance of shelterbelts and buffer zones
The buffer zones along hedgerows, banks and watercourses are precisely where the flail mower shines. It breaks up the material, promotes biodiversity and reduces the risk of the buffer zone becoming overgrown.
FM130 flail mower for ATV and UTV
The Faunamaster FM130 is an ATV/UTV-mounted flail mower developed for precisely the tasks described above. It is built for Danish nature and Danish wildlife management – compact enough to access narrow tracks, but powerful enough to handle even dense and tough material. Unlike a tractor-mounted flail mower, the FM130 provides access to areas unsuitable for tractors: damp hollows, forest trails, and uneven terrain. This makes it a natural choice for hunters and nature managers who do not wish to invest in full tractor operation.
See FM130 flail mower in the webshop.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a flail mower and a brush cutter?
Mulch mowers describe the task, not the machine. For real mulching of coarse vegetation, a flail mower is almost always the right machine. A cheap “mulch mower” is often a rotary mower, which is not suitable for heavy work.
Can I use a flail mower for a lawn?
Yes, technically – but it's overkill, and the result isn't as neat as with a rotary mower. A flail mower is built for what other machines can't handle.
Is a flail mower difficult to maintain?
No – it's primarily about keeping an eye on the condition of the flails and suspension. Worn flails are replaced individually and are much cheaper than replacing bent rotor knives. Regular lubrication and cleaning keep the machine in good condition.
When should I choose a rotary mower over a flail mower?
If you are exclusively cutting even areas of shorter, established grass – for example, a large meadow or a roadside verge without bushes – a rotary mower will give a neater and faster result. The two machines complement each other well on larger properties.
Can I then follow up with a Faunamaster seed drill?
Yes – the combination of a flail mower and an ATV-mounted seed drill as S105 is a straightforward workflow: clear the area with FM130, and then directly afterwards. Effective for establishing field margins and game strips.
Get started with Faunamaster
The Faunamasters range of ATV/UTV mounted machinery – FM130 flail mower, S105/S180 seeders and DH120 ATV-harvester – is built for the Danish landscape and for users who work without a tractor. Visit the webshop for full product overview.